Gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the world, and for many of us, it's also the best one. But unlike many other forms of entertainment, gaming requires specific and often expensive hardware to enjoy. Even among the best laptops on the market, it can be hard to find something good enough for gaming, and when you're spending upwards of $1,000, you want to make sure you're getting something that's just right for you. To help you out, we've rounded up some of the best gaming laptops you can buy today, so you can rest assured you're making a good purchase.
While everyone has different needs, there are a couple of things that tend to be very important with gaming laptops — powerful specs, such as the CPU, GPU, and RAM — and a high-refresh-rate display that can run your games as smoothly as possible. There's also a lot more you may want to think about, like webcam quality or overall portability. It depends on what you're looking for, but we've rounded up a few options, Most of these laptops have options for an RTX 4080 GPU or even higher, but there are also more affordable models.
Our top picks for gaming laptops in 2023
Alienware x16
Powerful and sleek, if you can afford it
The Alienware x16 is a beast of a laptop wrapped in a sleek chassis that easily outclasses its competitors. With powerful 13th-generation Intel Core processors, up to GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, and a sharp 240Hz display, there isn't much more you could ask for. If you can afford it, this is an amazing machine.
- CPU and GPU deliver top-tier gaming performance
- Compact and sleek design considering the powerful specs
- Quad HD+ 240Hz display with 100% coverage of DCI-P3
- More expensive than its competitors
- All ports on the back
There are a lot of powerful gaming laptops on the market right now, but none are quite like the Alienware x16. This powerful laptop does things differently from other gaming laptops, and if you can afford it, it's the best on the market.
It comes with 13th-generation Intel Core H-series processors, rather than the HX series found on most gaming laptops. It's not quite as powerful as those processors, but it's a lot more efficient. And since most games need GPU performance the most, you're still well off with up to 14 cores and 20 threads in the Core i9-13900HK CPU here. It also goes up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, and thanks to the Element 31 cooling interface, this is one of the fastest laptops around. Combine that with up to 64GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD, and you're golden.
Beyond that, the Alienware x16 has a superb 16-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and Quad HD+ resolution. It also has a smooth 240Hz refresh rate for top-tier performance in eSports titles. And to help it stand out, it covers 100% of DCI-P3, meaning color reproduction is great on this display, so you'll have a great time watching movies here (the speakers are great, too). Above that display is a 1080p webcam complete with Windows Hello support.
The Alienware x16 is a beautiful laptop, mixing a silver exterior with a black interior, plus a lot of RGB lighting, for one of the more unique gaming laptops available. It also has an optional mechanical CherryMX keyboard. Notably, this powerful gaming laptop measures just 18.57mm in thickness and starts at 5.67 pounds, making it more portable than most of its rivals. As for ports, it includes two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a mini-DisplayPort, a headphone jack, and a microSD card slot.
The biggest downside with this laptop is that it's very expensive compared to laptops with similar specs, but if you can afford it, it's definitely one of the best experiences you can get.
Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8
More reasonably-priced option
With top-tier Intel processors and Nvidia RTX graphics running at high power levels, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i doesn't leave anything to be desired when it comes to performance. It handles all modern games without breaking a sweat, and it comes in a premium design, checking just about every box it can.
- Top-tier performance with 13th-generation Intel CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40 series GPUs
- 16-inch display with 16:10 aspect ratio makes it great for work, too
- Premium design, unlike many other gaming laptops
- No Windows Hello support
- Fairly heavy
- The display could be more vibrant
There aren't many gaming laptops that check all the boxes the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i does, especially not while keeping a somewhat reasonable price. Lenovo's latest gaming machine is a phenomenal choice in almost every way, starting with the terrific performance delivered by the 13th-generation Intel Core i9-13900HX processor, along with Nvidia graphics up to a GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, capable of using 175W of power. Any modern game will run on this laptop without any issues and at high frame rates. You also get up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.
On top of that, a large 16-inch display — with a 16:10 aspect ratio and Quad HD+ resolution — delivers a fantastic experience for gaming, especially with the 240Hz refresh rate. Whether you want smoothness or sharper visuals, the Legion Pro 7i can provide. We did find the display to be a little muted in our review of the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, but it's still a great experience. Plus, this is a gaming laptop with a 1080p webcam, which is always great to see.
Gaming laptops aren't always known for their premium design, but that's something else Lenovo nails here. The Lenovo Legion Pro 7i has a beautiful metal finish all around, and it feels fantastic. However, it is a bit on the heavy side, starting at 5.5 pounds and 25.9 mm thick, but that's expected for a laptop with these internals. You also get a ton of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, standard USB Type-C with power delivery, three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, and Ethernet, so you can connect everything you might ever need without having to buy an adapter.
While higher-end models get a bit expensive, the Lenovo Legion Pro 7i is pretty close to a perfect laptop for almost any gamer out there, and it's more reasonably priced than the Alienware x16 considering the specs. You'll just be giving up some portability and nice-to-haves.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2023)
For anyone without a huge budget
A more budget-conscious option, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a very capable laptop that packs 13th-generation Intel processors and mid-range Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics. It also comes in a sleeker and more portable design, making it great for a student gamer or anyone who travels more frequently.
- Solid performance with the latest Intel processors and Nvidia graphics
- Sleek design is great for a student who also likes to game
- Windows Hello facial recognition
- 720p webcam
- Display isn't particularly impressive
- Part of the RAM is soldered
Not everyone has a huge budget to spend on a laptop, even if it is meant for gaming. If you're looking for something more reasonable, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 may just be for you. This laptop already comes packing modern specs, but not quite as powerful as the models above. You get a 13th-generation Intel Core i7-13620H processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU that can use 140W of power. With 16GB of RAM (plus a free slot) and a 512GB SSD, you have everything you need to get started with gaming.
The display isn't as impressive as other models, but it's a great fit for this hardware. You get a 16-inch display with a tall 16:10 aspect ratio, which helps make it more suitable for gamers who also want to get some work done. The resolution is Full HD+ with a 165Hz fresh rate, so it's not mind-blowing, but it's still going to be great for gaming. Plus, 100% coverage of sRGB also helps round out that experience. Unfortunately, the webcam is 720p, but it does support Windows Hello facial recognition, which is always great to see on a gaming laptop.
A benefit of this laptop compared to others on this list is that because it has weaker hardware, it's more portable. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 weighs 4.41 pounds, and that makes it much easier to carry around. If you're a student who likes to play games, you can reasonably take this laptop and use it in class (for taking notes, of course). It still has a lot of ports, including Thunderbolt, standard USB-C, USB Type-A, HDMI, and RJ45 Ethernet, so there's still a well-rounded experience here. This is a great laptop that almost any gamer can buy confidently.
MSI Titan GT77 HX (2023)
A large screen for more immersion
If you're looking for something that's as big and powerful as it looks, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is for you. Packing top-tier Intel processors and Nvidia graphics, this laptop can handle just about anything you throw at it. It also has a large immersive screen to deliver a terrific gaming experience.
- Top-of-the-line performance with an Intel Core i9 and GeForce RTX GPUs
- Configurable with up to 128GB of RAM and 4TB of storage
- Fantastic 17-inch 4K display
- Extremely expensive
- Very heavy
- 720p webcam
If you want a big laptop that makes good use of all the power, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is a beastly machine with a big display. It starts with top-tier performance afforded by the Intel Core i9-13980HX, along with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU, powering the most demanding gaming experiences you can get with no issues. What's more, you can configure this laptop with up to a massive 128GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD out of the box, so there's nothing you're not getting here.
Along with that, the MSI Titan GT77 HX has a huge 17-inch display and an incredibly sharp 4K resolution, delivering fantastic visual experiences for gaming and content creation. That's taken even further when you consider that this is a min-LED panel with multiple dimming zones and certified for DisplayHDR 1000, along with covering 100% of DCI-P3. Everything about this screen is phenomenal for gaming and watching movies. It, unfortunately, comes with a 720p webcam, but it does support Windows Hello facial recognition, which is very welcome.
Design-wise, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is as beefy as the specs indicate. It does weigh a whopping 7.28 pounds, so this is not a machine you want to take with you everywhere. The laptop is also very flashy, with an RGB mechanical keyboard and a large RGB light bar all across the fan exhaust on the rear of the laptop. That big chassis also gets you a ton of ports, with two Thunderbolt 4 connections, three USB Type-A ports, HDMI, mini-DisplayPort, Ethernet, and a full-size SD card reader.
The clear downside here is the extremely high price, but if you want the cream of the crop for performance and visuals, the MSI Titan GT77 HX is hard to beat. You can learn more about it in our MSI Titan GT77 HX review.
ASUS ROG Flow X13 (2023)
Best for daily use and casual gaming
The Asus ROG Flow X13 made a name for itself by being one of the lightest gaming laptops around, and the latest model comes with huge improvements. It features an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS and up to GeForce RTX 4070 graphics with more power than ever, all while still being super light and versatile.
- Under 3 pounds
- Convertible design makes it more versatile for day-to-day laptop
- Enough performance to run most modern games
- Not as powerful as a chunkier laptop
- Quite expensive for the performance
Gaming laptops usually come in pretty hefty packages, but Asus set out to change that with the ROG Flow X13, a versatile and powerful convertible laptop. The latest iteration packs some big upgrades across the board, making it better than ever but also more expensive.
Indeed, the 2023 Asus ROG Flow X13 comes with an AMD RYzen 9 7940HS processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with 8 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 5.2GHz. It also bumps up the GPU to a GeForce RTX 4070 with 60W of power, making this a far more powerful gaming PC. A new model without a discrete GPU relies on the Radeon 780M integrated graphics instead. For even more power, you can also get the Asus ROG XG mobile eGPU, which now comes with up to a GeForce RTX 4090. Aside from that, you get up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
The display has also received a huge upgrade, now using Asus' ROG Nebula technology with a brighter panel and 100% coverage of DCI-P3. It also has a sharper Quad HD+ resolution and smoother 165Hz refresh rate, so it's better in every way than previous models (assuming you spring for the top-end configuration). The same goes for the webcam, which is now a 1080p camera complete with Windows Hello facial recognition support.
Asus also cleaned up the design for this iteration, making the laptop feel a bit sleeker, though it is a little heavier due to the spec upgrades. Still, at 2.87 pounds, it's one of the lightest gaming laptops you can find anywhere. It also has upgraded ports, with one of the two USB-C ports now featuring USB4, in addition to incorporating the ROG XG Mobile interface for external GPUs. There's also a microSD card slot now, as well as USB Type-A, HDMI, and 3.5mm headphone ports.
We reviewed an earlier iteration of the Asus ROG Flow X13, but this latest model is a huge upgrade in every way. It costs a lot more, but there's nothing quite like it.
Razer Blade 18
Big screen, big power
Packing top-tier specs like an Intel Core i9-13950HX, a GeForce RTX 4090, and up to 64GB of RAM, the Razer Blade 18 is a laptop for those with a lot of money who want a PC to replace their old tower. It's big, powerful, and has a fantastic screen, along with the best webcam on a gaming laptop.
- 24-core CPU and powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics
- Large 18-inch display with 1100% coverage of DCI-P3
- 5MP webcam is ideal for streaming
- Very expensive
- Portability is not the priority
While laptops are meant to be portable, for many of us, they replace the desktop PC at home. If you want something with the power to match that kind of PC, the Razer Blade 18 is for you.
For starters, it comes with up to an Intel Core i9-13980HX processor with 24 cores and 32 threads for incredible CPU performance, and that comes backed up by up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Laptop GPU with 175W of power. That's all the performance you could ever want, and you can add up to 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for storage, which can be upgraded later if you need more.
Of course, a desktop replacement needs a big screen, and the 18-inch panel on the Blade 18 is one of the biggest we've seen in a laptop. With a 16:10 aspect ratio, Quad HD+ resolution, and a 240Hz refresh rate, it's plenty sharp and perfect for either gaming or creative work. That's also helped by the 100% coverage of DCI-P3, making for a fantastic viewing experience overall. The cherry on top is a 5MP webcam living above that display, with Windows Hello facial recognition support.
A large powerful laptop like this will be pretty heavy, and the 6.8 pounds of weight are no joke, though the laptop stays reasonably thin at 21.9mm. This isn't meant to be a laptop you carry around, though; it's a desktop workstation you can occasionally move to a different place. It does look sleek, though, with its all-black chassis and subtle RGB lighting Razer is known for. And for ports, you get two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 4), three USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.1, RJ45 Ethernet (at 2.5Gbos speeds), a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader.
All of this comes in a very expensive package, however, starting at $2,900 for the entry-level model. If you want the top-tier specs, you can spend over $4,000, so it's certainly not a laptop for everyone. Still, it's a tremendous machine.
Lenovo Slim Pro 9i
Powerful performance in a sleek package
The Lenovo Slim Pro 9i offers an impressive combination of performance and a sleek design, with powerful Intel processors and Nvidia graphics. It's more so made for creators, but with a 165Hz display and very capable hardware, it's a great machine if you want something that can handle games while still being portable and sleek.
- Up to 100W of GPU power makes it great for gaming
- 165Hz refresh rate and great color gamut coverage
- Sleek design makes it easy to take anywhere
- No top-tier GPUs like an RTX 4080
- Resolution is too high for gaming
- Webcam could be better
If you want a PC that can handle gaming while looking cleaner and being more portable, a creator laptop is one of the best options for you. The Lenovo Yoga 9i is one of the best creator laptops you can get, and it's also great for gaming.
There are two models of the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, but if you want the most performance, the 16-inch version is the best. It comes with an Intel Core i9-13905H processor with 14 cores and 20 threads, and also up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU that can use up to 100W of power. This should let you ruin most modern games just fine, though you may need to tweak some settings in more demanding titles. You also get 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
The display is a 16-inch Mini-LED panel with local dimming and a maximum brightness of 1200 nits in HDR mode. The sharp 3200x2000 resolution is a bit much for gaming, but you can turn it down to make full use of the smooth 165Hz refresh rate, and you also get fantastic color reproduction. Above that display is a Full HD webcam with IR facial recognition for Windows Hello.
Design-wise, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i looks sleek and clean in its Storm Grey colorway, and it weighs just under five pounds, while being a little over 18mm thick, much less than most gaming laptops. For ports, you get Thunderbolt 4, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a full-size SD card reader, so there's plenty of expandability here.
Whether you want to edit video or play games, the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i is one of the best and most portable options on the market. Stock has been a bit unstable for this one, however.
Acer Nitro 16 (2023)
Fast but relatively affordable
The Acer Nitro 16 is a powerful gaming laptop that doesn't break the bank. It comes with AMD Zen 4-based Ryzen 7000 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics in a package that costs just under $1,000. Plus, it has a large screen with a high refresh rate.
- AMD Zen 4 processors and powerful Nvidia graphics
- 165Hz display with a 16:10 aspect ratio
- Upgradeable RAM and storage
- 720p webcam
- Base model is already a bit expensive
Gaming is an expensive hobby, but there are thankfully affordable options out there. The Acer Nitro 16 is a great example that doesn't break the bank while still delivering some of the latest specs you can get.
For starters, the base model comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, based on the newest Zen 4 architecture for great performance and efficiency. That's paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 Laptop GPU that uses up to 140W of power, delivering a surprising amount of performance. It only comes with 8GB of RAM, but you can upgrade it later, and there's 512GB of storage out of the box.
Despite being affordable, the Acer Nitro 16 has a 16-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It comes in a fairly standard 1920x1200 resolution, but the 165Hz refresh rate makes this a great option for any gamer, and it pairs well with the specs here. Unfortunately, you only get a 720p webcam and no Windows Hello support.
The design shows where Acer cut some costs, with a 26mm thickness making this laptop a bit unwieldy along with the nearly 6-pound weight. Still, it looks fairly clean and stylish, and it gives you a lot of ports including two USB Type-C and three Type-A ports, HDMI, Ethernet, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It's hard to ask for much more here.
At $1,000, this is right at the threshold of what we'd consider a budget option, but for gamers, it's still one of the best value laptops around.
Best gaming laptops in 2023: The bottom line
Those are the best gaming laptops you can buy today, and you can tell they're all fantastic for different kinds of gamers. Our top pick right now has to go to the Alienware x16, even though it's not for everyone, given the price tag. It has powerful performance in a surprisingly compact and premium-feeling design, a great display for gaming and media consumption, and it even includes niceties like a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello. There's nothing that's really on the same tier, and it's impossible not to recommend it.
Alienware x16
The Alienware x16 is a powerful gaming laptop with a large 16-inch display and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It has 13th-generation Intel processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series graphics packed into a compact chassis.
If you're looking for something cheaper, the Acer Nitro 16 is still fantastic. It still costs $1,000, which isn't exactly nothing, but it gives you plenty of performance for far less than you'd be spending on more premium laptops. Plus, upgradeable RAM and storage mean you can extend the lifecycle of the laptop for much cheaper if you feel like the default configuration isn't enough.